Xavi is looking forward to a “desired final” as Barcelona set up a Supercopa de Espana decider against Real Madrid.
The Blaugrana had to win a penalty shoot-out against Real Betis on Thursday to seal their place in Sunday’s final after a 2-2 draw in Riyadh.
Robert Lewandowski scored and Nabil Fekir scored to send it to extra time. Loren Moron made a great backheel attempt and Ansu Fatti scored a spectacular volley to send it to penalties.
Marc-Andre ter Stegen was the hero of the Blaugrana, as he saved Juanmi from William Carvalho and won the game. His head coach also noted the high morale that the Blaugrana had over their El Clasico rivals.
“It is a desired final and now we are going for the title,” Xavi said. “I always want to play against the best and beat them.
“It’s a trophy and therefore important, but it’s not going to change the season either, although it would give us more morale and peace of mind for the rest of the season. We will try to fight for the three remaining titles no matter what happens.”
2 – @ANSUFATI has scored 2 goals in 90 minutes played in Spanish Supercopa in his career, a ratio of 1 goal every 45 minutes in the competition, the best among players with at least 2 games played in the competition since it’s played in a single-game format (2018-19). Talisman. pic.twitter.com/RvXsEAIH3C
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) January 12, 2023
Xavi also complimented Ter Stegen’s role in the victory against an impressive Betis, adding: “Since I’ve been here I’ve been delighted with him, he’s the icing on the cake.”
It was not a typical performance by LaLiga leaders in Saudi Arabia. Betis had more shots (15-12), and the match lasted 120 minutes.
Xavi observed that his team did not win in extra or normal time despite having the lead in both and he wants his players evaluate how they have managed the games since the World Cup.
After taking the lead in their first match after Qatar 2022, Barca lost a goal advantage three more times at Intercity in their Copa del Rey Game at Intercity. They eventually won 4-3.
“Other days we have done very well but since the World Cup break, we have struggled to seal matches when we have been dominant and have played with personality,” he said.
“We have to critique ourselves… we have to improve to achieve success this year.”